Adjustments Made to BYU’s Honor Code Allowing Students to Change Their Personal Religious Beliefs

After FreeBYU filed a religious discrimination complaint against Brigham Young University with the American Bar Association last fall, BYU adjusted its Honor Code “to allow LDS students to change their personal religious beliefs without being expelled from the University and evicted from their housing.”

Observ[ing] the standards of the Honor Code” is now considered “sufficiently compelling grounds to warrant an exception to the university’s ecclesiastical endorsement requirement”

Waiving one’s ecclesiastical privilege is no longer required for an exception

“Unusual” or “extenuating circumstances” are no longer required for current students to receive an exception

A March 2015 addition to the Admission Policy that allows ex-LDS applicants for admission to apply for an exception is now referenced in the Honor Code.

FreeBYU filed its complaint with the ABA on October 21, 2015. They claimed that BYU’s law school “discriminates against non-LDS students, faculty, and staff who were formerly affiliated with the LDS Church” and urged BYU to update the Honor Code to “allow LDS students to change their personal religious beliefs without being expelled from the University,” according to

These changes only apply to BYU Provo.

The Deseret News posted a quote from Carrie Jenkins, the University spokesperson:

the FreeBYU complaint had no bearing on the school’s decisions…Discussions leading up to these adjustments began long before we received the ABA’s letter asking for a response to the complaint… Given the approval process at the university, it simply would not have been possible to make these adjustments in the time Free BYU is stating. Adjustments to university policies are constantly being discussed and considered.”

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John Huntinghouse currently runs the LDS S.M.I.L.E. website full-time with his amazing co-founder and wife, Kara and they have three adorable kids. He is an adjunct professor at LDS Business College in the Social Media Marketing Department and he is a lover of all things pasta.